ORA’s Electric Indigo Dottyback – New Take On A Hybrid

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We tried, oh how we tried, but on this one, Dustin Dorton’s lips are sealed. The “Electric Indigo Dottyback” is clearly something different and unique, and is the latest in a string of debuts from ORA in early 2014.

So we’ve had “Indigo” Dottybacks for a few years now. But this “Electric Indigo” is something else. Since ORA isn’t talking, we’re left to speculate, and speculate we will.

First, let’s look back and the Indigo Dottyback. It is the primary hybrid of two Dottyback species; the Orchid Dottyback (Pseudochromis fridmani) and the Striped Dottyback (P. sankeyi). Sp you get these two fish to mate:

1. This is still a primary hybrid between full blood individuals of Ps. fridmini and Ps. sankeyi, the difference being that for whatever reason, a particular pairing is throwing off offspring which look consistently different. This, I believe, is the least likely option.

2. The Electric Indigo might represent some secondary line bred hybridizing; basically mating Indigo X Indigo and selectively breeding over a few generations to emphasize a coloration, form and pattern that ORA felt met a certain ideal. This, while possible, is another concept that is not the most likely option.

3. The most likely scenario? I believe that the Electric Indigo Dottyback represents a secondary hybrid, specifically a back-crossing of the Indigo Dottyback with one of the parental species. To me, the answer is very obvious; the parental species involved would be Pseudochromis sankeyi. So, my personal speculation is that the Electric Indigo Dottyback represents the mating of Pseudochromis (sankeyi X Indigo). And yes, you could then think of the fish as, one some very generic level, 75% Striped Dottyback and 25% Orchid Dottyback. Everything about the coloration and shape of the fish demonstrates strong Sankeyi influence.

Of course, ORA isn’t talking. And from a for-profit point of view, it’s understandable that if they see this as being a very successful new variety of dottyback, they’re not about to disclose how to “make it”…which leaves other breeders to pursue various lines of breeding to figure out if, in fact, any of these hypothetical origins are in fact correct. [ORA]